Improvement in clasps for corsets



MARY E.'MANSFIELD.

cLAsPs For consETs.

No. 182,526. Patented sepnze, 187e.

a, WQEE, i im llaw N-FETERS. PHOTO-LITHOGRAPHER. WASHINGTON D C l NITED S'rn'rns ATENT Grauen.

MARY E. MANSFIELD, OF SALEM, MASSACHUSETTS.

lIMPROVEMENT IN CLASPS FOR CORSETS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 182,526, dated September 26, 1876 application led July 1, 1876.

To all whom it may concern:

Bc it known that I, MARY E. MANsFIELD, of Salem, in the county of Essex, State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Guards for Corsets, of which the following is a description sufciently full, clear, and exact to enable any person skilled in the art or science to which my invention appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, forming a part of this specification, in which- Figure 1 is an isometrical perspective view, a part of the body being represented as broken away to show the teeth; and Fig. 2, a transverse sectional. view.

Like letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the different Iigures of the drawing.

It is well known that corsets, as ordinarily constructed, are provided between the outer and inner coverings with a series of verticallyarranged semi-elastic ribs or stays, and that in use the forward or eyelet stay soon Wears through, and projects more or less from the lower front corner of the garment, to the great annoyance of the wearer and the injury of other garments with which it comes in contact.

My invention is designed to obviate this objection, and to that end I make use of a metallic guard, constructed and applied in a novel manner, as hereinafter more fully set i forth and claimed, by which a simpler, cheaper, and more effective device for that purpose is produced than is now in ordinary use.

The nature and operation of my invention will be readily understood by all conversant with such matters from the following description: Y

The body of the guard is composed of a thin strip of elastic metal, about three-fourths of an inch in width and three inches in length, bent at .r to form the two side pieces or parts A B. The part B is provided with serrations or teeth d d, preferably integral with the body, and folded or bent inwardly, as shown, the points of the teeth being slightly elevated from the inner side of the 'part B. The free ends of the parts A B are provided with holes or perforations a a, and there are also a series of holes, b b, near the bend x.

In the use of my improvement, the guard is slipped on over the lower front corner of the corset, in such a manner as to embrace that portion ofthe garment, the extreme lower end or corner of the corset restingin the bend x, the contiguous edge or side of the front being passed as far as possible under the teeth d d, or between the same and the part B. The part A is then pressed rmly down upon the teeth, and the guard attached to the covering of the garment by sewing, the needle and thread being passed through the holes a, a b b. The teeth d d act frictionally to hold the guard more firmly in position while the sewing is being performed,- and also serve as gages or stops, against which the edge of the corset abuts or rests when the guard is in use.

The extreme poi-nts of the teeth are bent downwardly (not shown) toward the part B, so that when the part A is pressed upon the same, the points will penetrate the corset-covering, and act as hooks to prevent all undue lateral movements of the guard when in use.

I am aware that a patent was granted to E. Wadham, May 19, 1858, for an improvement in metallic tags for straps; but the device shown in said patent is essentially different from my invention, and used for a different purpose. I do not, therefore, claim yany part of said patented tag when in and of itself considered.

Having thus explained my improvement, what I claim is- As a new article of manufacture', the improved corset-guard described, consisting of the body A B, provided with the inwardlybent teeth d d and holes a b, constructed and arranged to operate substantially as set forth and specified.

MARY E. MANSFIELD.

Witnesses:

C. A. SHAW, ANNA WHITMORE. 

